Obesity and Weight Management

Honey

08/16/2007

Question:

I have heard that eating honey in the morning helps in losing your weight. Is it true? Also I wanted to know if there are any other food that can help you in losing weight.

Answer:

Thank you for your question. There is no single food that can cause or aid in weight loss. Losing weight is more a matter of calories in vs. calories out. To lose weight properly you need to do it slowly, using a combination of fewer calories and more physical activity. To keep it off you will need to make this a permanent lifestyle change.

The first step in weight loss is determining the number of calories you would need to simply maintain your weight. If you go to ChooseMyPlate.gov and put in your age, gender, and current physical activity level the program will help you determine your current calorie needs.

To lose weight slowly, reduce your calories by 250-500 calories per day to create a deficit of 1750-3500 calories per week. This is the amount of calories you should eat to lose 1/2 to 1 pound/week. Be careful not to go below 1200 calories per day. Eating less than this long-term could set you up to become deficient in certain nutrients. At the same time you need to increase your physical activity, and include some strength activities that will firm up and build muscle, replacing the fat you now have. With a higher muscle mass instead of fat mass your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) goes up. BMR is a measure of the base number of calories you need for your body to function properly.

The My Pyramid website also has an interactive food/exercise record you can use to help track your progress, as well as, lots of useful information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More)